


Calling Cards

by juniperpines



Category: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Grief, Hurt/Comfort, canon minor character death, post episode
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-22
Updated: 2014-08-22
Packaged: 2018-02-14 07:29:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2183163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/juniperpines/pseuds/juniperpines
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ficlet for the Star Trek Friendshipfest free-for-all-round.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Calling Cards

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cosmic_llin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cosmic_llin/gifts).



Everyone stayed away after Ian died. Even Will, who helped usher everyone out of Deanna’s quarters, didn't come back. She wished she was surprised, but he'd been uncomfortable all week. She was left alone with the new quiet, which wasn’t the same as the old quiet.

Everyone stayed away except for Katherine, who came by a few hours later with a small case under her arm as Deanna was folding and refolding the bedding from the extra bed. “I should probably get rid of it,” she said, “but it already seems too clean an ending. It’s almost like he never existed.”

“I brought you two things,” Katherine said. The first one turned out to be a small decanter of whiskey, which Katherine produced from the case along with two shot glasses. Deanna laughed through her tears and tried to demur, but Katherine wasn’t having it. “Doctor’s orders. I could prescribe you a hot milk toddy from the replicator, but we both know that’s bunk.”

“What’s the second thing?” Deanna asked, rubbing her palms on her knees as the whiskey burned the back of her throat. Icy rivulets of shock had finally arrived in her shoulders and palms.

Katherine pulled out a data pad. “It’s an old Earth custom among obstetricians. We’re in general practice out here, but I’ve always liked it.” She flipped through the pictures on the pad, watching carefully for Deanna’s reaction to the pictures of the babies. “I hope it’s not too soon, but I wanted to show you. All the babies I’ve been lucky enough to deliver out here.”

At the end of the series were Ian’s dark eyes in an infant face that Deanna could hardly recall. Every moment of his life had passed so quickly. If she could barely remember him, how could she expect anyone else to? Here it was, almost the only proof that he had existed aside from the notes in her medical chart. “Thank you,” she said, making an effort to keep her voice calm even though the tears had started to flow, "for letting me feel like a mother again for a moment."

“Shh,” Katherine slipped her arm around Deanna’s shoulders and encouraged her to rest her head on her shoulder for at least a moment, too. “You're going to find that there are many mothers out there without their children. Other people will forget, but you don't have to."


End file.
